It's clear from the opening Mad House that her once-sunny mood has been darkened by the intense media spotlight, pushing her further into the edgier territory she staked out on 2007's Good Girl Gone Bad. Bolder and often explicit lyrics and more assured vocals reflect a growing confidence and artistic maturity. First single Russian Roulette is literally and figuratively about risk as she talks about love's uncertainties while potentially shocking fans with its chilling imagery.

She once again turns to songwriters/producers The Dream, Ne-Yo and Justin Timberlake, who wisely help fuel the drive in a different direction. To her credit, she doesn't exploit or even explicitly address her unfortunate circumstances. This is about her coming to grips with her stardom, her hurts, her competition and her critics.

Hard is a punch in the mouth to her doubters, while Stupid in Love declares "the dunce cap is off." Wait Your Turn brashly puts rivals in check, and Rude Boy maintains her dance-floor allure. But probably the most telling statement of who Rihanna is these days is the Slash-propelled Rockstar 101, which revels in her status as a ubiquitous celebrity ("I never played the victim/I'd rather be a stalker"). – Steve Jones

>Download: Hard, Stupid in Love, Russian Roulette, Rockstar 101

OTHER NOTABLE RELEASES:

Shakira, She Wolf
* * * NO WALLFLOWERS ALLOWED

When we last heard from Shakira, she had us convinced that Hips Don't Lie. On her third English-language album, the Colombian singer makes sure that they don't sit still, either. The centerpiece of this electro-pop opus is the pulsating title track, on which she lets go her inner wild thing. The thumping beats and playful lyrics throughout help make Shakira's uninhibited howls of delight contagious. — Steve Jones

>Download: She Wolf, Long Time, Spy
>Skip:Gypsy

Susan Boyle, I Dreamed a Dream
* * * MONKEES & HYMNS & STONES, OH MY!

The YouTube phenom neither writes songs nor possesses a superstar voice — hers is endearingly human, several notches above humble — which means she's dependent upon her story, song choices and arrangements. When those mesh, they yield unexpected pleasures: She uncovers pathos in Daydream Believer and amps the ache in The End of the World and the regret in Wild Horses. They share space, jarringly, with Silent Night and the manipulative title track. But, hey, kids, she's solved your stocking-stuffer dilemma for Ma and Grandma. — Jerry Shriver

>Download: Wild Horses, Daydream Believer, Up to the Mountain, The End of the World
>Skip:Who I Was Born to Be

Adam Lambert, For Your Entertainment
* * * WHAM BAM, THANK YOU, GLAM

As much as any American Idol contestant, Lambert understands what his fans liked about him, and he gives them an album that reflects his best performances from the show. By turns campy, decadent, romantic and uplifting, it's always a showcase for a voice with an amazing range and a gorgeous falsetto. What remains to be seen, though, is whether his blend of electro-pop club grooves and bombastic rock will unite fans of both genres or just confuse them. — Brian Mansfield

>Download: Music Again, Soaked, Broken Open
>Skip:Fever

Enlarge By Ellen Von Unworth Rihanna goes for edgier music and lyrics on her fourth album in five years.